Posted tagged ‘education and training’

Companies can pay millions of dollars in advertising their superior service. But if their staff doesn’t actually deliver that service, all that advertising does is set up expectations that aren’t met, then you get unhappy customers.

I was excited about flying Emirates Air, as my friend Randy Gage waxed on about their service. Granted, Randy flew in one of their First Class suites (private bedroom, shower available). I was in coach. Although I’d flown Singapore Air a number of times, I wanted to check out the Emirates service to see how it compared.(more…)

Last summer, I read an article that stuck in my memory. It was about US Airways pilots who, because of the increase in fuel prices, were forced to take fuel-management courses if they ordered an extra few minutes of fuel for their flights.

One former Continental pilot Bruce Meyer, said he had to hide that
he was putting a safety cushion of fuel on board.

Then US Airways pilots took out an ad that said the airline “embarked on a program of intimidation to pressure your captain to reduce fuel loads.” Senior pilots — those who are well aware of the vagaries of flights — were targeted for (gasp!) fuel conservation training.

Stellar employees highly value enhancing their skills. Studies show that professional development is a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent. So what do you do if your professional development budget is slashed? You get creative. And we’ll help.

We’ve found a trend among out clients that most want to have regular learning experiences but also want staff to be away from their jobs for shorter time frames. Also they don’t like having to spend money on travel, even if the seminar or conference is relatively local.

Enter a development tool that many have yet to try — teleseminars! These are seminars over the phone. Teleseminars are the most cost- and time-effective way to provide professional development. In about an hour you can learn new ideas and create a development plan to increase your productivity and effectiveness.

These are different than webinars because you don’t have to be near your computer, just any phone. Enjoy learning from your desk or while away from your desk through the ease of a teleseminar. You can take our teleseminars at work, at home, in an airport, hotel room — wherever you and your phone are. They have the same audio components as a webinar but without the tech problems many webinars entail. Attendees still receive visuals in advance — PowerPoint slides and/or handouts — just print them and take them wherever you’ll be for the call.

And talk about time and cost effective — in under an hour, a teleseminar can focus on a key topic and even include lots of participant interaction. So the learner isn’t just listening to a lecture — they are sharing their experiences and deepening their thinking and understanding on a topic. They hear what others have to say about the topic that will help expand their perspective and options. And they walk away with an action plan to implement the ideas at work.

All this for a fraction of what it costs for in-person registration fees, travel expenses and lost productivity.

Come attend one of our monthly teleseminars. I’ve been conducting teleseminars for 15 years and have been called “one of the best teleseminar instructors in the world.” (Thanks mom!)

This 50- to 60-minute call will help customer service providers receive insights into their behaviors, but they will provide an action plan to integrate new skills.

We’re offering a special to entice you to experience our January 21 session — 50% off for the first 5 registrants.

While these programs are designed for front-line customer service providers, managers are welcome to attend.

January 21 teleseminar: “Assessing Your Customer Service Skills and Attitudes”

February 18 teleseminar: “How To Not Take Others’ Comments Personally”

Their job is to prevent any contraband from entering the US. But did these Customs officials have to be so darned surly in the process?

Some enforcement officers believe that they need to be human pit bulls and project an air that would have scofflaws cower. I beg to differ. I think one can be imposing while being respectful. These officials are the first impression many foreigners have of Americans on US turf. So why allow belittling behavior?(more…)

The guys at Willow Glen Bicycles in San Jose keep knocking my socks off with their service!

Dick and his crew are the kindest, most generous and knowledgeable bike staff around. I’ve watched them take care of the most proficient cyclist with thousand-dollar bikes to kids on Schwinns. When I wheel in my 30+ year-old 10 speed, they never laugh or make me feel like an old lady riding an antique. I’ve been to other local bike shops, including the previous owners at this location, and never been treated so well.

Today, is a great example. Last week I took in my bike because the odometer/speedometer I bought from them a few months ago was not working. At that time one of the senior techs suggested I get a new battery and he wrote down the battery number. I bought a new battery, installed it and it still didn’t work, so today I rode in to see if I hadn’t done something right. They tested the battery — it was fine. So Dick, the owner, replaced the unit with a higher level one saying the one I had was defective. He activated it and I was on my way. He wouldn’t take anything for the new one as he said he’d send in the old one and get a replacement from the manufacturer.

I asked if I could buy a tire valve cap and he said, “No.” I knew he was kidding and said, “We don’t charge for those.”

The just-launched site, iLearningGlobal (iLG), is a great training tool for corporate employees, small-business owners, and individuals interested in sharpening their skills. It is an amazing way to learn from some of the world’s greatest minds in success, productivity and achievement. iLG’s goal is to become the world’s largest online learning portal.

For a small monthly fee, subscribers have access to video, audio, eBooks and more from the top personal and professional gurus in the world today. I am honored to be chosen as one of the faculty members, along with Brian Tracy, Tony Alessandra, Harv Eker, Bob Procter, Mark Victor Hansen, Patricia Fripp, and many more highly regarded faculty are added weekly. Additionally, I am not only a customer but am so excited about this concept, I’ve become a marketer, too.